on of Backinstos produced an entire change in the minds of
the Mormon leaders. They now resolved to drop their friend Walker
and take up Hoge, the Democratic candidate. A great meeting of
several thousand Mormons was held the Saturday before the election.
Hiram Smith, patriarch and brother of the prophet, appeared in this
assembly and there solemnly announced to the people, that God
had revealed to him that the Mormons must support Mr. Hoge. William
Law, another leader, next appeared and denied that the Lord had
made any such revelation. He stated that to his certain knowledge
the prophet Joseph was in favor of Mr. Walker, and that the prophet
was more likely to know the mind of the Lord than the patriarch.
Hiram again repeated his revelation, with a greater tone of authority,
but the people remained in doubt until the next day, Sunday, when the
prophet Joseph himself appeared before the assemblage. He there
stated that he himself was in favor of Mr. Walker and intended
to vote for him; that he would not, if he could, influence any man
in giving his vote; that he considered it a mean business for
any man to dictate to the people whom they should vote for; that
he had heard his brother Hiram had received a revelation from
the Lord on the subject; but for his own part, he did not much
believe in revelations on the subject of election. Brother Hiram was,
however, a man of truth; he had known him intimately ever since he
was a boy, and he had never known him to tell a lie. If brother
Hiram said he had received a revelation he had no doubt he had.
When the Lord speaks let all the earth be silent."

That the prophet Joseph well understood how to

"By indirections find directions out,"

clearly appears from his cunning expression of faith in the pretended
revelation of the patriarch Hiram. The effect of this speech
was far-reaching. It turned the entire Mormon vote to Hoge, thereby
securing his election to Congress, and at once placed the Whigs in
the ranks of the implacable anti-Mormon party then in process of
rapid formation. The crusade that now began for the expulsion
of the Mormons from the State, was greatly augmented by acts of
unparalleled folly upon their own part. In order to protect their
leaders from arrest, it was decreed by the City Council of Nauvoo
that no writ unless issued and approved by its Mayor should be
executed within the sacred city, and that any officer attempting
to execute a writ ot